The Rest Is Politics

1 Oct 2026

576. How Xi is Outplaying Trump and Tensions in Northern Ireland

As Trump becomes the first American president to personally welcome a visiting head of state off a plane since JFK greeted Harold Macmillan in 1962, did his summit with President Xi signal improving US-China relations, or does Xi have his counterpart in an economic chokehold? With the standoff between protesters and members of the pro-British Protestant Orange Order in Northern Ireland showing no sign of resolution, is the region's fragile peace in danger of unravelling? And as violence erupts in Ethiopia, is Africa's second most populous country on the brink of civil war – and does it risk dragging other regional actors into a wider conflict spanning the Horn of Africa and the Gulf?

Two men who’ve been at the heart of the political world – former Downing Street Director of Communications and Strategy Alastair Campbell and cabinet minister Rory Stewart – join forces from across the political divide.

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Leading

5 Oct 2026

209. Shabana Mahmood: Palestine Action, Faith and What I Told Starmer

Is the government's ban on Palestine Action lawful, or overreaching? Why can't Britain just send small boats straight back to France? Can faith and public duty coexist in modern British politics?

Every Monday, Rory and Alastair interrogate, converse with, and interview some of the world’s biggest names – from both inside and outside of politics – about life, leadership, or leading the way in their chosen field.

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Latest

180. Question Time: Is Suella Braverman pretending to be right-wing?

Would Keir Starmer embrace proportional representation? Is the Tory right just a group of political entrepreneurs using their hardline views to climb the greasy pole? Is a wealth tax the only... Continue
The Rest Is Politics

179. Is Keir Starmer ready to be Prime Minister?

Is Labour ready for government? What's causing the SNP malaise? Did an AI deepfake video contribute to the outcome of the Slovakian election?Join Rory and Alastair for today's episode of The ... Continue
The Rest Is Politics

Alastair Campbell’s Diary: What Labour should do next

This week, Keir Starmer needed to show, in policy terms, how life in Britain would change if he became prime minister... Continue
The New European

178. Israel At War

How did Hamas launch one of the largest invasions on Israeli territory in recent history? What happens now? Will this conflict have geo-political ramifications throughout the Middle East?Join... Continue
The Rest Is Politics

39. Theresa May: Donald Trump, David Cameron, and ‘Brexit means Brexit’ (Part 2)

Why did Theresa May prefer Gordon Brown to Tony Blair as a Prime Minister? Does the former PM have any regrets over Brexit? How did things unfold behind the scenes after the Salisbury pois... Continue
Leading

177. Question Time: A new centrist party, mafia politics in New Jersey, and was Jesus a socialist?

How corrupt is US politics? Will we see a new centrist party in the UK? How did Tony Blair overcome nerves at the dispatch box? Join Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell as they answer all thes... Continue
The Rest Is Politics

176. Can the Tory Party be saved?

What actually happens behind the scenes at a Conservative or Labour Party Conference? What would it take to get the Conservative Party back to the centre-ground? What is going on between Koso... Continue
The Rest Is Politics

Alastair Campbell’s Diary: For Labour, it’s all to play for

Polling suggests that a victory for the party at the next general election could be anything from a coalition to a landslide... Continue
The New European